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Why Are U.S. Troops Still In Korea?
Forbes ^ | May 3,2011 | Doug Bandow

Posted on 02/12/2018 2:57:33 PM PST by SeekAndFind

There are many reasons why the U.S. government is in the red. One of the most important is because Washington insists on defending so many of its prosperous and populous allies around the world. They are the international version of Ronald Reagan's famed "welfare queens."

This year Uncle Sam is spending $3.8 trillion. Upward of $1.65 trillion of that will be borrowed, an incredible 40% or more. About $700 billion is going to the military, twice as much in real terms as just a decade ago.

[SNIP]

In the early years the ROK would not have survived without American military support. But by the 1980s the South was pulling away economically from the misnamed Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The latter was a militarized wreck unable to feed its people; in the late 1990s a half million or perhaps more North Koreans starved to death.

Today the ROK economy ranks around number 13 in the world. The South boasts successful hi-tech industries, is known for its construction work and auto production, and is one of the world's top trading nations. South Korea also has twice the North's population as well as an overwhelming diplomatic edge.

In contrast, the DPRK is an economic disaster, again stalked by hunger. Pyongyang has defaulted on its international debts. It has nothing to offer other nations: in fact, the North recently went to Third World states begging for food assistance. Aid agencies are predicting that North Korea will run out of food in just a couple of months. Both China and Russia now have far greater economic ties with Seoul than with their one-time communist ally.

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: military; southkorea
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To: RCFlyer; MrEdd

RE: Why be such an ass? Just answer politely.
SeekAndFind is genuinely interested.

You are right RCFlyer. And MrEdd thus far, has done a very good job of NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION.

Still, I await.


41 posted on 02/12/2018 5:06:14 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: camle

RE: if you have to ask, then you just don’t get it

No I admit that I don’t get it. That is why I ask, so that people can help me “GET IT”.


42 posted on 02/12/2018 5:07:58 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: MrEdd

RE: It seem that it falls upon me to inform you that China is now the preeminent communist power with a first world economy and a manufacturing capacity that rivals any on the planet. North Korea was China’s proxy in the fifties, and it still is today. When China wants to rattle things up they pull the strings and North Korea complies.

Well, the way I see it, Japan and South Korea BOTH have world class economies and manufacturing capacities that rivals China and even the USA.

Japan has a GDP of 5 Trillion Dollars. South Korea has a GDP of 2 Trillion Dollars. They are richer PER CAPITA than China.

Why can’t they use their own financial and technological prowess to defend themselves? WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE THERE?

If they need arms from us, we can sell them, but do we have to BE THERE physically?

Thanks for educating me,
Mr. Ignoramus


43 posted on 02/12/2018 5:12:39 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: MrEdd

RE: South Korea cannot stand against North Korea and China.

OK, what about South Korea AND Japan combined?


44 posted on 02/12/2018 5:13:54 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
The US troop contingent in Korea is a tangible expression of our nuclear and strategic guarantees to South Korea and Japan. The helps to strengthen the US position and to diminish the incentives to nuclear proliferation. US troops also help train the South Korean military and provide strategic direction.

Notably, Japan and South Korea both invest heavily in US Treasury bonds -- which means that both countries help finance our federal deficit. In effect, they help pay for US troops in South Korea by buying the US Treasury bonds that cover the present cost of our parents' Medicare and Social Security.

45 posted on 02/12/2018 9:05:23 PM PST by Rockingham
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To: Dr. Pritchett

Bingo....


46 posted on 02/13/2018 3:15:22 AM PST by trebb (I stopped picking on the mentally ill hypocrites who pose as conservatives...;-})
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To: SeekAndFind

The article ignores China’s desire to support NK’s bid to overwhelm SK.

SK can’t beat China.


47 posted on 02/13/2018 6:09:18 AM PST by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: G Larry

RE: The article ignores China’s desire to support NK’s bid to overwhelm SK.

SK can’t beat China.

_____________________

What about Japan AND SK COMBINED? These are gigantic and technologically advanced economies.

Both these countries are in the cross hairs of NK, and many test missiles have gone pass both their air spaces.

Our troops could leave their countries and still provide weapons for them. But why can’t DEFENDING THEIR COUNTRY be their own RESPONSIBILITY?


48 posted on 02/13/2018 6:55:04 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Isolationism doesn’t work.

China would take over SK AND Japan.


49 posted on 02/13/2018 7:00:26 AM PST by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: G Larry

1) Selling and arming these two countries with devastating weapons is NOT isolationism.

2) It is debatable whether China will even risk her economy to attack these two industrial and technological giants with huge armies. And if these two countries have nukes of their own, that will be another deterrent.


50 posted on 02/13/2018 7:19:53 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Unless Mr. Bandow is talking about removing all the troops in Korea and discharging them then the cost of having them there is not a whole lot more or a whole lot less than having them here in the states.


51 posted on 02/13/2018 7:24:51 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: mountainlion
We are entangled in a UN treaty agreement or something.

Disown and negate the treaty, exit the U.N. and invite them to relocate. Ship 'em off to Paris, Brussels or Beijing.

U.S OUT OF U.N.; U.N. OUT OF U.S., NOW!

52 posted on 02/13/2018 8:04:46 AM PST by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The presence of U.S. troops is the ONLY deterrent to China’s overtaking the South.

You can debate all you like.
China’s objectives are not in question, as they deal in millennia, not election cycles.


53 posted on 02/13/2018 8:48:32 AM PST by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: SeekAndFind

study the issue. study the war’s beginning (it’s still going on) and active phase. learn about the norks. how they continually try to do things like tunnel under the dmz, seized the u.s.s. pueblo, fund terrorism, etc..


54 posted on 02/13/2018 1:53:37 PM PST by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: camle

You don’t have to convince me about how evil, sinister, dangerous and warlike the Norks are in general, and Kim Jong Un in particular. I believe they did all the evils things you just wrote about in the above post.

My question is this -— WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE THERE PHYSICALLY? Can’t we fight evil by arming and supporting our two allies?

What about Japan AND South Korea COMBINED? These are gigantic and technologically advanced economies with huge standing armies and the ability to nuclearize if they want.

Both these countries are in the cross hairs of NK, and many test missiles have gone pass both their air spaces. They have to be motivated to defend themselves.

And Our troops could leave their countries and still provide weapons for them.

Why can’t DEFENDING THEIR COUNTRY be their own RESPONSIBILITY?


55 posted on 02/13/2018 6:07:48 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: MrEdd

China and South Korea have a lot of ties.

China knows that ultimately the South will prevail, but they use the North for leverage as a bargaining chip to get the US to leave the Peninsula once the Koreas reunite.


56 posted on 02/13/2018 6:13:11 PM PST by dfwgator
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